Thousands of people have turned out to march against austerity and cuts to council services.

Campaigners of all ages and backgrounds gathered on College Green to march against central government funding cuts.

After a series of speeches, the march began shortly after 1pm and brought traffic and shoppers to a standstill as it snaked through the city centre.

Called by Bristol Mayor, Marvin Rees, in July, the ‘Rally for Bristol: Fund Our City’ was billed as the biggest protest in the city’s history.

Bristol anti-cuts march gallery (Image: Michael Lloyd)

The Local Government Association has estimated that central government funding has decreased by almost 26 per cent since 2010, and Bristol City Council itself is facing a £106million budget deficit by 2022.

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This in turn has led to cuts in a wide range of services, including schools, libraries and community health services.

The march has been endorsed by Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, the Bristol Green Party and more than 30 local and national organisations and trade unions.

One of the best signs at the Bristol anti-cuts march

However, the event has not gained universal support. Bristol’s Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups have described the march as a “vanity project” for Mr Rees and one local activist has condemned the lack of social diversity at the event branding it a “middle class assembly”.

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Organised by Bristol People’s Assembly, the march returned to College Green shortly after 2.30pm where the several speakers addressed the crowd.

Among those speaking was journalist and activist Owen Jones, who said, "the old order is dying. We will build a new order, dare I say it, a socialist order."

Mr Rees closed proceedings at 4pm by thanking people for taking part.

He said: "I hope that as you look at the person next to you, you can see there is someone who loves and cares about the city and by extension cares about and loves you too.

"This is step number one, our aim now is to go forward from next Tuesday and go in to party conference season and the budget season with core cities and see what we can get out of the Chancellor and his budget, because that is where it hits the road.